Common questions relating to Kumon study

Kumon offers much more than tutoring and differs from traditional teaching in the classroom. Rather than preparing children for a particular test or assessment, Kumon empowers students to learn for themselves, through individualised instruction and carefully developed worksheets.

From day one a Kumon student experiences success as they build their independent learning skills and confidence in their own abilities. A Kumon student is, therefore, never dependent on – or limited by – the skills and knowledge of others.

Both, and every child in between. We can make this claim because of our individualised approach to education, which always asks the question: "What is best for this individual child?" Following a diagnostic test a study plan is set to develop the ability of the child and to progress them beyond the Kumon International Standard, regardless of their starting point. Kumon welcomes students with special educational needs, gifted and talented children, and all those who believe they can achieve more and fulfil their potential.

Students can start Kumon at any age. We have children as young as two years old studying with us, as well as those about to go to university. The sooner children begin, the earlier they can start developing skills to gain the greatest cumulative benefit; as soon as you feel your family is ready to make the commitment to long-term study, Kumon will be ready to help you achieve your goal.

They don't. A Kumon student is progressed based on their current ability and not their age, though we believe that every child has unlimited potential and can ultimately tackle advanced work through well-paced and individualised instruction. We have children of similar ages studying different material and children of different ages studying the same material. Everything is dependent on the student's needs, not on how old they are.

As a global programme, Kumon does not follow a school curriculum, but rather is complementary to curricula across the world. The primary aim of the Kumon Method is to develop independent learning skills. To achieve this, Kumon study takes students beyond the level they are studying at school and provides learning materials which are unfamiliar and compel them to develop new learning strategies to deal effectively with new challenges.

These independent learning skills, once developed, then enhance the students’ performance right across the school curriculum. We believe each Kumon student has the potential to study advanced work, beyond the international standard for their age, empowering them to get the best out of school and succeed in the global community.

Kumon operates at exactly the right level for each student – regardless of their age – again ensuring that the material each one encounters extends and develops their skills, confidence and ability. This kind of individual differentiation is a unique benefit of the programme and makes it an effective complement to the school curriculum.

Working every day is indeed a commitment which requires dedication and perseverance, even if the amount of work is quite small. We take this approach because completing an appropriate amount of work on a regular basis is simply more effective for the student than having longer study sessions with extended breaks – they will learn more efficiently and make stronger progress as they apply what they have learned. This sense of routine also fosters effective study habits and a positive attitude to study.

Fluency is integral to mastering a topic; this means not only being able to complete work accurately, but also quickly. Finding the answer to 8x7 is one thing, being able to recall the answer immediately is quite another. Fluency, not just accuracy, is required if your child wishes to tackle more challenging work successfully.

Kumon is a self-learning programme. As Kumon aims to develop independent study skills, a Kumon study centre does not have a teacher at the front of the class. The carefully developed worksheets teach students how to find the answer for themselves, whilst their Instructor guides them along their journey. It is the Instructor's role to observe the child working, making sure they are developing at the right pace and thus set work according to their current ability.

Kumon students come to the Kumon centre up to twice per week for as long as it is required to complete their work for the day, this is usually about 30 minutes per subject. This will depend on their current needs, the difficulty of the work, and centre flow.

Behind every successful student is a supportive parent, and nowhere is this truer than with Kumon study. Your child should be able to complete their daily homework independently as each worksheet builds on skills they will have developed on the previous level. Your child may well ask you for help, but you should ensure that, as far as possible, they complete the work by themselves.

As Kumon is a self-learning programme there isn't a need to teach anything at home. Every question and every worksheet builds on the one before. Your role is, therefore, to support and encourage your child. The worksheets will do the teaching and your Instructor will guide them on their journey to becoming an independent learner.

You will be provided with answer books to help you mark your child's work.

Though the greatest reward a child can receive for their hard work is the confidence to overcome any challenge and the sense of pride for mastering advanced work, we also believe it is important to reward our students for their achievements.

Kumon students can achieve numerous awards throughout their journey, to recognise reaching key milestones and studying advanced work for their age. Certificates are awarded to students who are studying above the Kumon International Standard, and for completing the maths and English programmes. There are also certificates to recognise the completion of each level, and a special award for those students who reach level G whilst still in primary school.

Local and national awards ceremonies are also held, at which students and parents come together to celebrate the achievements of Kumon students.